November 07, 2007 -

"Sometimes I feel a storm brewing, / I feel thunder and lightning building up inside, /
So I pick up my pencil and paper and my bundle of sorrow, /
I turn my face to the wind, and I search for the words that will comfort me."
– Marc-Antoine Cyr, playwright (transl.)

Life is full of joy, laughter, love, light, tenderness and friendship… and occasional moments of unhappiness. Anatole is so sad he doesn't know what to do, until one rainy day he meets Léontine, who is also feeling melancholy. Anatole cries at the drop of a hat; Léontine, on the other hand, would rather die than cry. Despite their differences, they decide to team up to get rid of their sadness. But how? At that moment, "He Who Carries the Wind on his Back" appears, and invites them to accompany him on a journey through the storm clouds to the sea… and why not to the sun as well?
Les Flaques is the happy result of a meticulous and affectionate collaboration between Théâtre Bouches Décousues (creators of the unforgettable Le Pingouin) and PPS Danse (making their family theatre debut with this show). Working together, the two companies have concocted a wonderful blend of theatre, dance and music specially designed to appeal to young audiences. Adding a poetic dimension to everyday events, Les Flaques delivers a simple yet powerful message that goes straight to the heart: sadness can be vanquished.

The Playwright: Marc-Antoine Cyr

A graduate of the National Theatre School of Canada (2000), Marc-Antoine Cyr has written several plays, including Le Fils de l'autre, Les Oiseaux du mercredi, and Le désert avance, written during a residency in Limoges and published in 2006 by Éditions Théâtrales (Paris). Les Flaques, his first play for family audiences, premiered in 2006 at the Coups de Théâtre festival and was published by Dramaturges Éditeurs. His play Les Soleils pâles earned him first prize in the 2007 young people's theatre playwriting competition organized by Montreal's Maison Théâtre, Collège Lionel-Groulx and the Centre des auteurs dramatiques.

The Director: Jasmine Dubé

Author, scriptwriter, performer and director Jasmine Dubé is the co-founder and artistic director of Théâtre Bouches Décousues. A novelist, she is also the author of several albums published by La courte échelle. In 1996 she received the Masque for Best Original Play from the Académie québécoise du théâtre for La Bonne Femme, and the Arthur Buies Award for her body of work. In 1998 she won an Artquimédia award and the "Renaissance Française" medal for cultural Influence (writing for young audiences category) presented by France Folklore, a Toulouse-based network of cultural associations. In 2006, Théâtre Bouches Décousues received the Grand Prix du Conseil des arts de Montréal, awarded annually to recognize the excellence of a production or event presented in Montreal.

The Choreographer: Pierre-Paul Savoie

Dancer and choreographer Pierre-Paul Savoie has contributed to numerous theatre, concert and film projects, and has over a dozen original shows to his credit. In 1996 he was the co-recipient (with Jeff Hall) of the Canada Council's prestigious Jacqueline Lemieux Prize, and in 2004 he received the Attitude Award presented by the Réseau des Organisateurs de Spectacles de l'Est du Québec (ROSEQ). Always very active in the arts community, he is the former Chair (1995–2004) of the Regroupement québécois de la danse. Over the past 17 years, his dance company, PPS Danse, has given over 400 performances across Canada and internationally.

Les Flaques
Written by Marc-Antoine Cyr
Directed by Jasmine Dubé
Assistant director and choreographer: Pierre-Paul Savoie,
with input from the company
With Christian Baril, Alexia Bürger, Stéphane Deligny, Ève Lalonde,
Olivier Morin and Maryse Poulin
Music: Maryse Poulin / Lighting and stage management: Guillaume Cyr / Costumes, makeup and wigs: Angelo Barsetti / Cutter and assembler: Julio Meja / Production director: Jean Paquette
Coproduced by Théâtre Bouches Décousues and PPS Danse

Saturday, November 17, 2007 at 13:30
and Sunday, November 18, 2007 at 13:30 and 15:30
in the NAC Studio
53 Elgin Street, Ottawa, Ontario

Recommended for ages 8 and older.
Show running time: 50 minutes.

Tickets $12 (adults and children). Non-reserved seating.

On sale at the NAC Box Office (no service charges), through Ticketmaster (at all Ticketmaster outlets or by 'phone, 613-755-1111) or online at www.nac-cna.ca

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For more information, please contact:
Guy Warin, Communications & Media Relations Officer
French Theatre – Canada's National Arts Centre
(613) 947-7000 or 1 866 850-2787, ext. 759
gwarin@nac-cna.ca